Goodnight Fox
Bugs & Butterflies · Craft
Toilet Paper Roll Bug Craft
Turn empty toilet paper rolls into pastel bugs with foam wings, pipe cleaner antennae and beads — a low-prep spring craft that builds fine motor skills.
- Ages 2–6
- 30 min
- Mess: Medium
- Craft
- Time
- 30 min
- Ages
- 2–6
- Mess
- Medium
- Prep
- Some prep
Toilet Paper Roll Bug Craft up close
Every angle, before you read a single instruction.
Why we love it
An easy spring craft for toddlers and preschoolers
Spring is the perfect time to lean into bug and butterfly learning with hands-on activities that build creativity, fine motor skills and early learning confidence. This toilet paper roll bug craft is simple and low-prep, using pastel foam, pipe cleaners, googly eyes and beads. It is featured in Week 10 (March) of the GoodnightFox Homeschool Calendar during Bugs & Butterflies Week.
Gather these first
Everything for this setup, in one list.
Empty toilet paper rolls
3-4Pastel foam sheets
2-3For the body wrap and wings
Pipe cleaners
a handfulPastel colours work best
Googly eyes
2 per bugPastel beads
a small handfulGlue gun or strong craft glue
1Glue gun is adult-only
Scissors
1Child-safe for little hands
Markers or crayons
optionalFor extra details
Free printable wings, head and body template
1 print
Shop the materials
The exact products we used, if you'd rather not hunt them down.
Some links are affiliate links. We only share things we actually use.
How to set up toilet paper roll bug craft
Follow along at your own pace.
Step 1: Prepare the base
Wrap a toilet paper roll with pastel foam and glue it in place. This becomes the bug body.
Step 2: Create bug wings
Cut simple wing shapes from the foam sheets. Encourage your child to experiment — long, round or butterfly-style wings all work.
Step 3: Add antennae
Twist pipe cleaners and glue them inside the top of the roll so they stick out like antennae.
Step 4: Decorate the face
Glue on googly eyes and draw a small smile if you like.
Step 5: Fine motor bead details
Thread pastel beads onto short pipe cleaner pieces, or glue beads straight onto the wings and body.
Step 6: Let it dry and play
Once dry, the bugs are ready for imaginative play, storytelling or a spring-themed display.
Skills hiding inside the play
Fine motor
Cutting foam, threading beads and placing small pieces.
Creativity
Every bug is different — wing shape, colour and pattern are up to your child.
Early science
A first look at insects: bodies, wings and antennae.
Early math
Count the beads, compare wing shapes, sort by colour.
Vocabulary
- Bug
- Insect
- Butterfly
- Wings
- Antennae
- Crawl
- Fly
- Colour
- Pattern
- Spring
Conversation starters
How many wings does your bug have?
Is your bug a butterfly, a bee, or something new?
What colours do you see on your bug?
Where do you think your bug lives, and what does it need?
books we love
Some links are affiliate links. We only share books we actually read.
Printables & kits for this activity
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